hallucinogens
Drugs causing visions
Hallucinogens are drugs that alter perception, mood, and thought, often producing vivid sensory distortions or visions.
The category includes LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, mescaline, and DMT.
Effects vary widely—some users report profound spiritual experiences, others terrifying ones.
Also called psychedelics, though that term carries more positive connotations.
Psychedelic hallucinogen
- DMTPowerful naturally occurring hallucinogen
- ayahuascaPsychoactive Amazonian plant brew
- peyoteHallucinogenic desert succulent
- ketamineDissociative anesthetic agent
salvia · acid · shrooms · magic mushrooms · morning glory · datura
Twisting from original state
- perceptionMental interpretation of stimuli
- altered stateModified consciousness experience
- synesthesiaInvoluntary sensory crossover
- ego dissolutionDisappearance of personal identity
visuals · tracers · time dilation · body high · peak · plateau · afterglow · set and setting
Combining into a whole
- PTSD treatmentAddressing psychological injury aftermath
- addiction treatmentCare for compulsive dependencies
- depression treatmentAddressing clinical melancholy
- anxiety treatmentMethods reducing pathological worry
end-of-life care · neuroplasticity · breakthrough · microdosing · clinical trials · ketamine therapy · mental health
Ceremonial set of actions
- ceremonyFormal event marking occasions
- shamanismMediation between worlds
- vision questRite seeking supernatural guidance
- mystical experienceProfound encounter beyond ordinary perception
transcendence · sacrament · curandero · plant medicine · sacred · cosmic consciousness · divine revelation · initiation rite
Mood-regulating brain chemical
- default mode networkBrain regions active at rest
- neuroplasticityBrain's self-rewiring ability
- pharmacologyStudy of drug actions
- neurotransmitterSynaptic chemical messenger
tryptamine · agonist · brain imaging · dose-response · tolerance · cross-tolerance
LSD
Psychedelic hallucinogen
- DMTPowerful naturally occurring hallucinogen
- ayahuascaPsychoactive Amazonian plant brew
- peyoteHallucinogenic desert succulent
ketamine · salvia · acid · shrooms · magic mushrooms · morning glory · datura
distortion
Twisting from original state
- perceptionMental interpretation of stimuli
- altered stateModified consciousness experience
- synesthesiaInvoluntary sensory crossover
ego dissolution · visuals · tracers · time dilation · body high · peak · plateau · afterglow · set and setting · bad trip
integration
Combining into a whole
- PTSD treatmentAddressing psychological injury aftermath
- addiction treatmentCare for compulsive dependencies
- depression treatmentAddressing clinical melancholy
anxiety treatment · end-of-life care · neuroplasticity · breakthrough · microdosing · clinical trials · ketamine therapy · mental health
ritual
Ceremonial set of actions
- ceremonyFormal event marking occasions
- shamanismMediation between worlds
- vision questRite seeking supernatural guidance
mystical experience · transcendence · sacrament · curandero · plant medicine · sacred · cosmic consciousness · divine revelation · initiation rite
serotonin
Mood-regulating brain chemical
- default mode networkBrain regions active at rest
- neuroplasticityBrain's self-rewiring ability
- pharmacologyStudy of drug actions
neurotransmitter · tryptamine · agonist · brain imaging · dose-response · tolerance · cross-tolerance
- Substancesmatter, elements, compounds, molecules, atoms
- drugsibuprofen, marijuana, aspirin, meth, cocaine
- altered statestrance, altered states, altered perception, consciousness expansion, derealization
- Drug RegulationFDA, DEA, controlled substances, drug scheduling, Schedule II
- Neuroactive Drugsdopamine, serotonin, GABA, acetylcholine, norepinephrine
- PsychedeliaLSD, acid, psychedelic posters, tie-dye, trippy
hallucinogenssobriety
Unimpaired mental state
reality · antipsychotics · clarity · lucidity · clear-headedness
hallucinogensantipsychotics
Drugs treating severe mental disorders
sedatives · depressants · tranquilizers · stimulants · barbiturates